A The union and various steel industry groups are calling on President Joe Biden to maintain the steel tariffs imposed by former President Donald Trump.

Executives from seven groups this week wrote a letter addressed directly to the president on behalf of American steel producers, fabricators and workers, highlighting the impact of Trump’s 2018 steel tariffs on their industry. They said the move was necessary because surges in steel imports threatened nearly 2 million domestic jobs.

“The tariffs have been successful, allowing our industry to restart inactive factories, rehire laid-off workers and invest in the future,” the letter read. “Since the tariffs took effect, U.S. steel producers have announced plans to invest more than $ 15.7 billion in new or upgraded facilities – investments that are now starting to pay off in the form permanent and family steel jobs and economic activity that supports communities across the United States. “

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The letter, which, among others, was signed by United Steelworkers, one of the country’s largest unions, goes on to acknowledge that opponents of the tariffs say they are adding to the rising cost of steel but stress that the COVID-19 pandemic has presented “unprecedented, but temporary, challenges to global supply chains in many sectors.”

Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act allows tariffs for national security reasons, and despite criticism claiming it was an abuse of the law, Trump used that rationale to impose the tariffs. steel tariffs in 2018.

Philip Bell, president of the Steel Manufacturers Association and one of the signatories of the letter, told the Washington Examiner Friday that while the Biden administration has yet to respond, he wanted to give Biden the credit “of not being partisan and just removing the tariffs immediately.”

“We really applaud the administration’s very measured and methodical approach to reviewing tariffs and trade policy,” Bell said. He said Biden’s decision to keep tariffs in place while trade negotiations continued was a smart move for several reasons.

He said the tariffs had helped stem the tide of unfairly traded imports, added billions of dollars in investment in the steel industry and gave the United States leverage to enter negotiations with allies. on how to gradually move away from customs duties in order to benefit from free access. and open markets.

Bell also stated that another aspect of tariffs that is often underreported is the environmental component. He said the move led the United States to cut steel imports which contribute much more to global CO2 emissions.

“It’s good for American jobs, but it’s also good for the environment because a lot of these countries not only don’t, but they can’t make steel as cleanly as we do,” did he declare.

In addition to the union and the Bell organization, the letter was signed by representatives of the American Iron and Steel Institute, the Committee on Pipe & Tube Imports, the Specialty Steel Industry of North America, the American Institute of Steel Construction and the Alliance for American Manufacturing.

On the other hand, the Coalition of American Metal Manufacturers and Users, the National Foreign Trade Council, and dozens of other American companies using steel and aluminum asked Biden earlier this month that the tariffs are removed due to demand and high level. prices.

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“It’s the companies manufacturing in America like ours that pay the tariffs on imports, and it’s our companies and our employees who suffer when our product cannot compete with foreign manufacturers because the United States is one. island where steel and aluminum prices are high, ”reads the letter lis. “On some products, American companies pay 40 percent more for similar steel than their European counterparts – an untenable situation for any American employer.”

Original location: Steel industry begs Biden to keep Trump steel tariffs in place